Sound reproducing apparatus



Dec. 29, 1936. J R EL 2,066,041

SOUND REPRODUC ING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l //0 I! 4.6- LINE Dec. 29 1 936. R KlEL 2,066,041

SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWZW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOUND REPRODUCING APPARATUS John Ripley Kiel, Chicago, Ill.

Application August 14, 1933, Serial No. 685,145

16 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for reproducing sound, and particularly to a clock which is preferably electrically driven, and which operates mechanism which sounds or announces the time at stated intervals and follows this with music, or the like, or with a short talk, which, for example, may be a selling talk on some article of commerce.

An object of this invention is to provide a talking clock of this character which will automatically run through a series of announcements and talks, after which the mechanism will be returned to the starting point and will then repeat its operations at regular intervals.

Another object is to provide such a mechanism which will operate from a continuous strip or band, such as a motion picture film having a series of record sound tracks, here shown as grooves formed therein from which the sound is reproduced by a pick-up of a well known type.

Still another object is to. provide means for shifting the pick-up from one groove to another groove, and particularly for advancing the pickup a predetermined exact amount at each actuation.

These and other objects, as will hereinafter appear, are accomplished by this invention which is described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a clock and of a continuous sound film reel, and of a pick-up mechanism for reproducing sound on the film together with a diagram of connections therefor;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the mechanism for shifting the sound pick-up device taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged Vertical sections on the lines 3, 4 and 5 respectively of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram of the mechanism for driving the film and for shifting the pick-up device; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the film showing the sound record grooves and the pick-up needle in one of the grooves.

The embodiment as illustrated is capable of reproducing sound at predetermined intervals for all sorts of purposes, but this particular apparatus is adapted to make sixty announcements, one each minute for an hour, and then repeat. It comprises a clockworkmechanism I!) having a second hand I! on which is mounted a cam [2 (Fig. 6). This clock may be of any desired type, but is preferably electrically driven by an alternating current, the mechanism for driving it, however, being no part of the present invention and is therefore omitted. The cam l2 operates once each minute to close a switch l3. One arm of the switch is connected through a lead M to the positive side of a six volt battery l5, which serves to actuate a number of relays, which will presently be described.

A power line 16 which is preferably supplied with alternating current furnishes power for driving the clock and a motor A, preferably of the synchronous type, which at intervals drives the record film B. This film is made endless and Mechanism for driving film B The switch 13 is connected, as previously stated, through a lead M with the positive side of the battery [5. In actual practice, however, the battery is replaced by a rectifier tube which supplies a low voltage direct current from the alternating current line, but the battery is used in the diagram for the sake of simplicity. The other side of the switch l3 connects through a lead l8 with a starting coil E9 of the relay E, thence through a lead 20 to the negative side of the battery. A holding coil 2| on this relay connects with the positive side of the battery and through a lead 22 with a holding switch 23, which is closed when current flows through the starting coil l9. The opposite side of the switch 23 connects through a lead 24 with the releasing switch J, one arm of this switch being connected by means of a link to an arm 25 which has a roller 26 engaging the near edge of the film B.

This film may have twenty grooves, for example, each of which has three talks or announcements, each talk coming after the announcement of a minute. In that case, the sound film would have sixty talks, or one for each minute of the hour, and the record would be repeated once every hour. Thus at each closing of the switch l3, as will be more fully described later, as the record is fed past the pick-up it will first announce the minute as one minute after the hour or seven minutes before the hour, and following this with a ten or twelve second talk to be advertised, as a toothpaste of a certain make.

The film, therefore, is provided with three notches 21 corresponding to the ends of the records in the grooves. The other side of the switch J connects through a lead 28 with the negative side of the battery I5. When, therefore, one of the notches 2'! on the film passes under the roller 26, the switch J will be opened with the result that the holding coil 2l of relay E will be de-energized and the relay will open, thereby opening the switches 23 and 23 The switch 23 connects at one side through a lead 29 with one side of the power line l6, while the other side of the switch connects through a lead 30 with one terminal of the motor A, the other terminal connecting through a lead 3| with the other side of the power line. Thus it will be seen that closing the switch l3 energizes the relay E, thereby closing switches 23 and 23 and thereby connecting the motor A with the power line. This motor then drives the film through a suitable sprocket 32 until such time as one of the three notches 2'! passes under the roller 26. As soon as this occurs the switch J opening breaks the current passing through the holding coil 2i, thereby de-energizing the relay E which opens the switch 23 and causes the motor A to stop.

The film while in motion passes under the needle D of the pick-up D, the needle being in one of the grooves B of the film, as shown in Fig. '7. The needle in the record groove announces the time either in so many minutes after the hour or so many minutes before the next hour, and this is then followed by a short talk of any desired character. If the film has three such talks for each groove of film, as is here contemplated, it will be necessary to shift the pick-up from one groove to the next successive groove at the end of the third talk. These shifts both forward and reverse all preferably occur at the same point in the film.

Shifting mechanism The forward shift is accomplished by mechanism which is actuated by a single notch 33 on the far side of the film, as shown in Fig. 6. This notch engages a roller 34 on an arm 35 which is connected to the movable member of the switch H. One contact of this switch is connected to the positive side of the battery through a lead 36, while the other side of the switch connects through a lead 31 with the closing coil 38 of the relay F, the opposite side of the coil being connected through a lead 39 with the lead 20 which goes to the negative side of the battery. The lead 39 also is connected to the holding coil 40, the opposite side of the holding coil being connected through a lead 4| with a holding switch 42, a lead 43 from the opposite side of this holding switch being connected to a switch 44. The opposite side of this switch connects through a lead 45 with the positive side of the battery. Thus it will be seen that when the notch 33 passes under the roller 34, the switch H will be closed, thereby energizing and holding the relay F so long as the switch 44 remains closed. The latter switch opens and closes as the motor C operates, as will be described.

Brake for motor C The relay F has a switch 46, one side of which connects with the negative lead 20 from the battery, while the other connects through a lead 41 with a magnetic brake 48 on the shaft of the lay F is de-energized and is opened when the relay is energized. In order for the motor C to run, as will later be seen, the relay F must be energized. Therefore, the brake 48 is released whenever current is supplied to the motor C, and the brake is supplied with current from the battery causing the brake to operate at all times when the relay F is not energized and the motor is not in operation. When the switch 42 is opened, the brake switch 46 is closed. The current to the motor C is cut off and the brake simultaneously applied.

Motor C and its reversing relay A lead 49 connects with one end of one of the field coils of the motor C, the opposite end of the coil being connected through a lead 50 with a stationary contact 51 of the reversing relay G. The contact engages a contact carried on an arm 52 movable by the relay out of contact with the point 5|, and into contact with the point 53. The arm 52 connects through a lead 54 with one brush of the motor C, the opposite brush connecting through a lead 55 with a movable contact 56, which also is controlled by the relay G. The contact 56 is normally in engagement with a stationary contact 51 which connects through a lead 58 with an end of the other field coil of the motor C, the opposite end of this coil connecting through a lead 59 with a switch 60 on the relay F, which is closed only when the relay is energized. The other side of the switch 60 connects through a lead 6| with the opposite side of the power line, thereby completing the circuit through the motor C for forward operation when the reversing relay G is in the position shown in Fig. 6, and when the relay F is energized.

With current flowing through the motor C and the relay G in the position shown, the motor will run in a direction to feed the carriage on which is located the pick-up D toward the right. Assuming that the groove in which the pick-up D is located, as shown in Fig. '7, is the first groove of the series, the feed will be toward the second groove. When the notch 33 passes under the roller 34, the switch H is closed, thereby energizing the relay F and causing the motor C to be operated in a forward direction.

On the shaft of the motor C is a worm 62 meshing with a worm wheel 63 keyed on a shaft 64, the latter carrying a ring 65 (Fig. 5) which is keyed thereon. This ring has a shoulder at one side carrying a round pin 66, and the space 6'! immediately beneath the pin is cut away. This forms one element of a Geneva gear, the star wheel 68 of the gear being keyed on the shaft 11. The star wheel has two transverse grooves 69 set at right angles to each other and adapted to engage the pin 66 as the disk rotates in either direction. Thus on each revolution of the shaft 64, the shaft I1 is given a quarter revolution. The whole is carried in a suitable housing which passes through and is secured to a panel H (Figs. 1 and 2). The shaft 64 is preferably mounted in an eccentric bushing 12 so that a close adjustment may be made between the centers of the shafts 64 and IT. This Geneva gear also provides for variations of movement of the shaft 64, since it is difficult to stop the high speed motor 0 at exactly the desired point. Thus the turning of the shaft 11 is accomplished in onequarter of a revolution of the shaft 64, and the latter shaft then has approximately three-quarters of a revolution within which it can stop. This is sufficient considering that the worm and worm wheel reduction is approximately thirty to one.

The end of the shaft I! is threaded to receive the threaded nut 13, and a threaded member M is screwed thereon and is set by means of a screw 15 (Fig. 3) so that there is substantially no end play in the shaft IT. The member 14 carries a ring 16 which is secured thereto by means of screws 11. Between the two and surrounding the screws 11 is an annular member 18 forming a cam, while a cam follower 19 rides its periphery. The cam comes to rest in the position shown in Fig. 4 due to the pin 19 opening the switch 44 thereby releasing the relay F which in turn stops the motor C. This position corresponds to the position of the star wheel of Fig. 5, and the cam is so adjusted that the follower is at the bottom of one of the two opposite flats on the cam. Above this follower are located two switches 44 and 44 which are opened and closed as the cam rotates.

The switches K and L previously described are carried by an insulator secured to the top of the housing 10. The switch K is normally closed, while the switch L is normally open, as shown in Fig. 6. A pin 8| is secured to the nut 13 and slides in a slot 82 so as to prevent the nut from turning as the shaft l1 rotates. This pin carries a fiber top 83 which is adapted to engage the switch L to close the same as the pin moves to the right, and to engage the switch K so as to open the same as the pin moves to the left.

As will later be explained, closing the switch L energizes the reversing relay G and causes the motor to feed the carriage D to the left, while opening the switch K, as the pin 8| moves to the left, stops the feed of the pick-up to the left and brings the motor to a stop at a point where the pick-up needle D will drop into the first or left-hand groove of the film, as shown in Fig. '7. An adjusting screw 84 (Fig. 2) is provided whereby a very nice adjustment of the switch L is permitted. If desired, the same form of adjustment may be used for the switch K.

Secured to the nut 13 is a sleeve 85 in which are located two ball bearings 86 and 8! in which is secured a shaft 88. A spring 89 located at the end of the shaft presses upon the ball bearings in such a way as to take up all slack but to permit easy rotation of the sleeve with respect to the shaft 88. The pick-up D is carried by this shaft so that as the sleeve is moved either to the right or left the pick-up is carried with it, the pick-up needle D sliding across the face of the film from one groove to the other and always at the same place in the film.

Forward and reverse drives of the motor C The switch L serves to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor C. To do this one side of the switch L connects to the positive side of the battery, while the other connects through a lead 90 with the starting coil 9| of the reversing relay G, the opposite side being connected through a lead 92 with the negative side of the battery. As the cam 18 is rotated by the forward motion of the motor C, it opens and closes the switches 44 and 44. On opening the upper switch 44, the hold switch 42 of the relay F is de-energized causing this relay to release momentarily, but to be picked up again as the switch 44 closes and the relay F is again energized. This causes this relay to flutter once.

As soon, however, as the motor is reversed, the switch L will be opened, and will hold the relay G in reverse. A holding coil 93 is provided therein which connects at one side to the lead 92, and at the other through a lead 94 to a holding switch 95. The opposite side of this switch connects through a lead 96 with the switch K, the opposite side of the switch being connected through a lead 9! to the positive side of the battery. The switch 98 of the relay G connects through a lead 99 with the positive lead 36 of the battery l5 and through a lead I00 with the lead 31 to the relay F. The switch is closed on energizing the reversing relay and thus holds the relay F in position even when the switches 44 and 44 are opening and closing.

Thus the motor having once been thrown into reverse will cause the carriage on which the pickup D is mounted to travel to the left until the fiber member 83 strips the switch K opening it, and thereby de-energizing the relay F and the reversing relay G. The position of the switch K is such that when the motor C stops, the pick-up needle D will stop on the first groove of the film, as shown in Fig. '7. At the next minute the cam l2 again closes the switch I3 and the announcement is made for the first minute of the first groove as before.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a talking clock which is efficient in its operation, and which will indefinitely repeat the series of operations consisting of first announcing the minute and following this with a short talk, after which the mechanism comes to a stop. After three such announcements and talks on one groove of the film, the needle is automatically shifted to the next groove and on con clusion of the three talks on that groove moves to the next groove, and so on. After the last groove is thus completed the shifting motor is automatically thrown into reverse and moves the pick-up back to the start of the first groove. The series of operations is then repeated.

The sound track in the film loop could also be formed on a continuous spiral, like a screw thread, in which case the pick-up might be fed across the film continuously, the feed moving the pick-up the distance between adjacent tracks for each full round of the film loop instead of intermittently as in the form shown. In either form, the pick-up can be stationary while the film loop is moved, but it is more satisfactory to move the pick-up and keep the film running in the same position.

The shifting of the pick-up needle from one groove to the next, or from the last groove back to the first is done very rapidly in the interval between the time the motor A stops after completing one talk and the time that the motor starts the next talk, which in the device as actually constructed was an interval of about fortyfive seconds.

Any means other than the cam l2 may be used for actuating the mechanism by closing the switch l3. Thus the closing of the switch l3 may be accomplished by movement of a door or the like, or it may be operated by a relay which in turn is operated by a photoelectric cell. In any case, the record of talk, music chimes, etc., will be appropriate to the situation in which the device is to be used.

For the best results the roller (Fig. 1) lying immediately beneath the needle of the repr0- embossed ridges, which are formed beneath the grooves B (Fig. 7). This can be done for the reason that these grooves are parallel to the edges of the film. These grooves in the roll permit the flat portion of the film to lie solidly against the roll, thereby insuring more perfect reproduction since the film is in the same relation to the roll as that at the time of recording, as fully shown and described in my application Serial No. 659,538, filed April 3, 1933, entitled Motion picture film and method of and apparatus for recording sound. At the same time these grooves in the roll opposite the reproducer prevent both lateral and longitudinal slippage.

It will be understood that this shifting mecha-- nism is applicable for use in recording sound on film by substituting for the pick-up D and its needle D a recording tool having a recording needle of any well known type operated by an electric current whose pulsations are generated in a microphone, or the like.

While I have shown and described but a few embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to the next adjacent track of the series, and means for returning the pick-up means from the end of the last track to the beginning of the first track.

2. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means including a clockwork mechanism for starting and stopping the propelling means a plurality of times for each track, and means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series.

3. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means including a clockwork mechanism for starting the propelling means a plurality of times for each track, and means includ ing a plurality of notches in the edge of the strip for stopping the strip after it has run a predetermined distance.

4. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, and means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series while the film remains stationary.

5. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, and means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series, the shifting means including a motor, a non-rotatable nut operably connected to the pickup, a screw-threaded shaft threaded into the nut, a Geneva gear connecting the shaft and lutions of the motor gives a definite amount of motion to the shaft.

6. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for intermittently propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, and means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series.

7. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series, and means operable by the strip for returning the pick-up from the end of the last track to the beginning of the first track.

8, In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series, the shifting means including a motor, a non-rotatable nut operably connected to the pick-up, a screw-threaded shaft threaded into the nut, a Geneva gear connecting the shaft and motor whereby an approximate number of revolutions of the motor gives a definite amount of motion to the shaft, and means for automatically returning the pick-up from the end of the last track to the beginning of the first track.

9. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series, the shifting means including a motor, a nonrotatable nut operably connected to the pick-up, a screwthreaded shaft threaded into the nut, a Geneva gear connecting the shaft and motor whereby an approximate number of revolutions of the motor gives a definite amount of motion to the shaft, and means including mechanism for reversing the motor for automatically returning the pick-up from the end of the last track to the beginning of the first track.

10. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series, the shifting means including a motor, a nonrotatable nut operably connected to the pick-up, a screw-threaded shaft and motor whereby an approximate number of revolutions of the motor gives a definite amount of motion to the shaft, and means for returning the pick-up from the end of the last track to the beginning of the first track including a switch operable by the pickup shifting means for reversing the motor.

11. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks on the strip, means for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, means for shifting the pick-up means from one track to another track of the series, the shifting means including a motor, a non-rotatable nut operably connected to the pick-up, a screwthreaded shaft threaded into the nut, a Geneva gear connecting the shaft and motor whereby an approximate number of revolutions of the motor gives a definite amount of motion to the shaft, means for returning the pick-up from the end of the last track to the beginning of the first track including a switch operable by the pick-up shifting means for reversing the motor, and another switch operable by the shifting means when propelled in reverse for stopping the motor so as to leave the pick-up in the first track.

12. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks in the strip, an electric motor for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying sound from the record tracks, means for shifting the pick-up from one record track to another, including an electric motor, a system of electric relays for controlling said motors, and notches on the edge of the strip for operating the relays.

13. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record tracks in the strip, an electric motor for propelling the strip, means for picking up and amplifying sound from the record tracks, means for shifting the pick-up from one record track to another, including an electric motor, a system of electric relays for controlling said motors, and notches on the edge of the strip for operating the relays, one of the relays being operable to reverse the direction of rotation of the shifting motor to return the pick-up from the last record track to the first.

14. In combination, a member to be fed having a threaded opening, a screw-threaded shaft screwed into said opening, a drive shaft, a Geneva gear having a star Wheel and cam, the star wheel being keyed on the screw-threaded shaft, the cam secured on the drive shaft, the cam having a pin adapted to engage the star Wheel so as to advance the star wheel one step at each revolution of the drive shaft whereby a relatively inaccurate fraction of a revolution of the cam will produce an exact movement of the star wheel.

15. An advertising device comprising in combination a clock mechanism, a continuous strip bearing a series of parallel sound record tracks, means operable by the clock mechanism for intermittently propelling the strip longitudinally at predetermined time intervals, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from one of the tracks at a time, and means for shifting the pickup means progressively from one track to another and for reversely shifting from the last sound track to the first for repeating.

16. In mechanism of the class described, a continuous strip, a series of sound record grooves in the strip which alternately run in opposite directions and are parallel to each other and to the edges of the strip, means for alternately propelling the strip in opposite directions, means for picking up and amplifying the sound from the strip, and means operable by the strip for shifting the pick-up means from one groove to another.

JOHN RIPLEY KIEL. 

